Determine the grammatical correctness of using a singular possessive pronoun with multiple subjects | Step-by-Step Solution

TinyProf's Grammar Guide 📝

What We're Solving: We need to determine if it's grammatically correct to use the singular possessive pronoun "its" when referring to multiple subjects (Austria and Europe) in this sentence.

The Approach: To solve this, we'll identify the pronoun's antecedent (what it refers to), understand pronoun-antecedent agreement rules, and consider the sentence structure. This is important because pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number and gender!

Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Identify the pronoun and potential antecedents

• Pronoun: "its" (singular possessive)
• Potential antecedents: "Austria" and "Europe"

Step 2: Analyze the sentence structure The phrase "Austria – and Europe –" creates a compound subject. The dashes set off "and Europe" as additional information, but both are still part of the subject.

Step 3: Apply pronoun-antecedent agreement rules

• When you have multiple subjects connected by "and," they typically require a plural pronoun
• "Austria and Europe" = they (plural), so the possessive should be "their"

Step 4: Test both versions

• Original: "Austria – and Europe – to rethink its global role" ❌
• Corrected: "Austria – and Europe – to rethink their global roles" ✅

The Answer: The sentence is grammatically incorrect. Since we have two subjects (Austria and Europe), we need the plural possessive pronoun "their" instead of the singular "its." The corrected sentence should read: "There is an urgent need for Austria – and Europe – to rethink their global role."

Memory Tip: Think "Two or more, use 'their' for sure!" When you have multiple subjects connected by "and," they almost always need plural pronouns. Count your subjects – if there's more than one, go plural! 🎯

Great question! Pronoun agreement can be tricky, especially with complex sentence structures, but you're building strong grammar awareness by questioning these details!